Because we’re an online group, our members live in a variety of places and come from all sorts of backgrounds. But we all have one thing in common–we love the world of children’s picture books!
Meet Mirka M. G. Breen!
Born and raised in Jerusalem, I now live and raise my own two angelic teens (Ha!) in California, dreaming up stories for my, and their, younger selves.
Meet Mark Ceilley!
I am happy to be a part of our writing group. By day, I am a first grade teacher. I’ve been teaching in the lower elementary grades for 22 years. I have a master’s degree in Developmental Reading. I taught overseas for 5 years. First in Italy and then in Saudi Arabia. In between, I traveled all over Europe, the Middle East, Australia and more. Now, I live in St. Paul, MN. I have taken 2 courses with the Institute of Children’s Literature. I have written over a dozen stories and have submitted many of them to publishers. My other stories are in the process of revision. I’ve gotten my share of rejection letters. One of my stories was accepted by Spider magazine. My first success! The story will appear in summer 2009. I am an active member of SCBWI and have been to state conferences. My goal is to get one of my stories published as a picture book.
Meet Tina Cho!
Tina Cho grew up in Iowa where she eventually met her husband from Korea. After living in Iowa, Korea, and Arizona, they now reside in Orange County, California. Tina has been an elementary teacher for the past 11 years, mainly in kindergarten. Currently, she stays at home with her two kids, Anna who is in 1st grade and Isaac who is 3 years old. Tina has always loved reading and now enjoys reading to her children. As a teacher she looked forward to the school book club orders, more than her students. Now she feels God leading her in the direction to write children’s books. To learn more about Tina, visit her blog at Tina’s Tidbits.
Meet Evelyn Christensen!
Evelyn grew up in Kentucky, one of six children of a minister and a teacher, and lives there today with her husband Ralph. Teaching has always been her passion. She has a doctorate in math education and has taught at a variety of levels. Puzzles and games were a fun part of Ev’s home life growing up, so not surprisingly educational puzzle books have been a focus of her writing. In recent years she’s expanded to work on picture books and write for children’s magazines. To learn more about Ev visit her website at echristensen.atspace.com
Meet Joshua W. Hawkins!
Joshua W. Hawkins somehow managed to survive childhood as the fourth of nine children in the small town of Salmon, Idaho. He grew up on a diet of good books and adventures spent in the fields and hills of his hometown. Many of his ideas for stories evolved from mostly-fond memories of childhood. Inspired by authors like Roald Dahl and Lloyd Alexander, Josh discovered his talent and passion for writing in his middle school years. His current interests include picture books, YA fiction and any stories that teach scriptural principles. After living in the Czech Republic for 2 years he married his best friend, Gretchen, and settled down in Utah. They have two young children. In addition to writing whenever he can, Josh masquerades as an adjudicator for unemployment insurance by day and a bloodthirsty pirate by night—Arrrrr!
Meet Diane Hower!
Diane Hower grew up on the shores of Lake Erie and was introduced to photography and art at a very early age. She began working with children in high school and became an art teacher and an art therapist. Her love of children’s books and writing came from her years as an elementary school counselor and raising her own children. Diane now lives in Oregon with her husband, Peter and their two dogs. Stanley, the youngest, is a certified therapy dog that works with Diane in schools. To learn more about Diane, you can visit her website at dkhower.com
Meet Priya Iyengar!
Priya Iyengar is an Indian American who settled in southern California with her husband and seven-year-old daughter. By profession she’s an attorney, but decided to stay home for a few years to be with her daughter and help her during her formative years. As a student in India, she used to write for local newspapers and journals to earn pocket money. Wanting to pursue her writing career, she started writing stories for her daughter. This opened an avenue for her to become a published writer. Priya also took the basic writing course at Institute of Children’s Literature (ICL) and graduated in 2007. She is pursuing her travel writer’s course at AWAI. Priya is published in Kids Magazine Writer, Fandangle, Stories for Children, Wee Ones and community magazines. Her cultural background, travel and living experiences in various continents give her vivid ideas for picture books.
Meet Nancy I. Sanders!
Nancy I. Sanders grew up on a dairy farm in Everett, PA, the youngest of seven children. She loved to read! She remembers reading Little Women perched high in an apple tree, laughing uncontrollably while reading Winnie the Pooh, and reading Pride and Prejudice aloud with her future sister-in-law while floating on a raft in the middle of the pond. Now she loves to write. Her areas of special interest include children’s stories, African American history, and Bible stories and devotions. She lives in southern California with her husband, Jeff. They have two adult sons. To find out more about the books and articles she has written, visit her website at www.nancyisanders.com.
